The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will this week examine the large power lines, generation facilities and grid technologies that form the backbone of the nation’s energy system.
The hearing will focus on the “bulk power system,” a broad term encompassing most of the electric grid, excluding the lower-voltage lines that deliver power directly to homes and businesses.
Lawmakers remain divided over how to strengthen that system. Republicans generally favor building more always-available power sources, such as nuclear and fossil fuel generation, along with the pipelines needed to transport oil and natural gas. Democrats tend to emphasize expanding renewable energy and building out transmission infrastructure.
Committee Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah) could position the discussion as a potential bipartisan forum to revive long-stalled permitting reform efforts.
